Family Policy

This book gives students a critical insight into how children and families' everyday lives and experiences are shaped by policy and legislation. Providing guidance on developing academic assignments throughout, it covers concepts such as the family within multicultural societies, poverty, social mobility and life-chances.

This report provides a detailed understanding of employers' motivations for offering flexible working and the outcomes of different policies and practices for both employers and employees.

This report outlines how employees and managers in three sectors - banking, grocery retail and local authorities - have experienced the 'family-friendly employment' options available in their place of work.  

This report is the first to examine attitudes towards flexible working and family life. Drawing on a study of over 1500 members of the AEEU and interviews with 53 shop stewards, the report addresses key questions around rights and benefits, employer's attitudes, gender differences and the effects of flexible working on health and well-being.

This report takes a critical look at the costs and benefits for individuals and families of turning to self-employment as a route out of economic disadvantage.

Naomi Eisenstadt and Carey Oppenheim explore the radical changes in public attitudes and public policy concerning parents and parenting, arguing that a more joined-up approach is needed to improve outcomes for children: both reducing child poverty and improving parental capacity by providing better support systems.

In the UK, as in other rich countries, the ‘playing-field’ is anything but level and the family plays a surprisingly crucial part in maintaining inequality. This book explores how seemingly mundane aspects of family life raise fundamental questions of social justice and calls for a rethink of what equality of opportunity means.

The role that nurseries play in supplementing family care is an important subject – but in the UK, there is currently little consensus about what nurseries should provide, how they should be run, and who should pay for them. In this book, Helen Penn asks: is there a more considered way ahead?